Textile-printing machine



Nov. 15', 1927.

J. W. WOLSTENHOLME TEXTILE PRINTING` MACHINE Filed March 15. 1927 Patented Nov. `15, 1927.4

JOHN W. WoLs'rnNnoLME, oF NEWTON, NEW JERSEY. f

TEXTILE-PRINTING- MACHINE. d

Application 1edMarch`15,A1927. Serial 110.175,444. .i

The present invention relates to an improvement in textile printing machines. One object thereof has been to provide appa.- ratus wherein a single part may effectively 5 be used in a multiplicity of operations which have heretofore required a plurality of parts,

'and more particularly to do awayy with the present necessity of carryingas equipment a. largenumber of copper gum water rollers of divers sizes corresponding, to the sizes of printing rollers for a largenumber o'f different patterns or designs. A further object has been to improve the quality of textile printing machines by eliminating the struc-v tural defects therein which have heretofore been largely responsible for certain imperfections in printing.

In the operation of well known types of machines it has been customaryto feed the web of fabric between a central drum or cylinder and oneor more printing rolls co-operating therewith, said rolls being geared t-o rotate in synchronism with the pylinder. A

gum water roller, bruiser, or crush rollerI is usually positioned to operate on the fabricy after the'last printing. roller or rollers. Or, where the design involves the use of more than one printing roller, a gum water roller may advantageously be positioned to operate between printing rollers. In either case the gum water roller is geared to rotate in synchronism with the printing roller and the cylinder. Its function is to remove all surplus dye or color and to press the previously deposited dye or color intothe fabric while applying a protective coating solution thereto. Where the printing rollers and the gum water roller or rollers are geared together and with the cylinder, each will be a portion of positively operating feeding mechanism for theweb lof fabric. yIt is therefore essential that their peripheral surfaces shall rotate at auniform speed. Otherwise the section of fabric web between printing rollers or bet-Ween `a gum roller and a printing roller may become' slack orl unduly taut either of which conditions will cause a defectl in the printing, such as blurring, or

dragging of .one color into another. In prac tice, the components of the printed pattern faces for new desi* S. Obviously, where the i gear ratios are xed, the rollers must be` of equal diameter. This means that the gum water roller must also be reduced to the new diameter. ofthe printingrollers if the machine is to operate' satisfactorily.l It is therefore apparentthat there must be a gumwater roller for each set of printing rollers of a given size, or the gum water rollers must be cut down eachtime a new size of printing roller is used.

According to my invention, I use a gum roller of any suitable diameter regardless of the diameterv of the printing rollers and support it in such a way that it rotates freely 'and independently of the rotation of the positively driven xcylinder and printingv .rollers AIn other words, the gum roller is not geared to or driven with the cylinder'or the printing rollers.

One embodiment of my inventionv is illustrated in the drawings accompanying the present specification and in which Figure l is a side elevation represented diagrammatic'ally and with overlying portions omitted. l

Figure 2, a detail with a portion of a mandrel supporting bearing shown'in vertical longitudinal sect-ion, and v l Figure 3, afdetail end view of a gum water roller and a portion of the supporting means therefor.

Referring to. the drawings my invention is .shown as applied to a textile printing machine having a cylinder l, printing rollers 2 and means for driving said cylinders and printing rollers in synchronism including a main gear 3 mounted on shaft 4, which also 1 carries the' cylinder l, and gears 5 mounted on mandrels 6 carrying the rollers 2. Main gear 3 is actuated by a pinion 7 mouted `on ashaft 8 which may be driven from any suitable source of power, as an electric'motor, not shown. Color pans and other devices commonly utilized with the printing rollers are not ,shown since they have no .significance in connection with the present invention. 4

At a suitable po'rtion of the framework 9 of the machine, I provide a movable bearing 10 -adjustable toward andaway from cylinder 1, in a manner common to machines-of thischaracter. A gum water roller 11 on shaft l2 is freely rotatable with respect to said bearing, Vbeing preferably supported' by suitable anti-friction means such as roller bearings, ball bearings 13 or the like. A second gum Water roller 14 is indicated in Figure 1 between printing rollers 2, 2 and is mounted substantially the saine as gum water roller 11. A web 15 of fabric to be printed is shown in position between cylinder 1 and the printing and gum Water rollers above described.

.From the foregoing description it Will be apparent that,.as web 15 is fed through the machine, the cylinder 1 and printing rollers 2 will operate positively While the gum Water rollers 11 and 14 will be in free rolling contact with a portion of said web engaging the periphery of cylinoder 1. Thus, for a given machine, a gum roller of, any convenient and suitable diameter may be operated With sets of printing rollers of the same or any other diameter Without interrupting the smooth and eective passage of Web 15 through th`e machine. Thus, with no extra expenditure of time and labor it is possible to produce sharply defined printings on fabrics, a result heretofore difficult 4to attainA Without the most careful prepa-ration and adjustment of the printing and gum Water rollers. It will also be apparent that the improvement hereinabove describedmay readily be incorporated in existing machines at little expense and Without materially altering the design thereof. Other advantages and benefits inherent in my invention will be apparent to those familiar With textile printing machines and their mode of operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a textile .printing machine, the Combination of means for feeding and printing a web of fabric including a cylinder, a print roller and means for driving said cylinder and print roller, and a gum Water roller mounted to rotate freely and having its peripheral surface positioned for rollingy contact with'a web of fabric engaging said cylinder.

2. In a textile printing machine, the combination of means for feeding and printing a web of fabric including a cylinder, a print roller and means for driving said cylinder and printroller, and a gum Water roller mounted to rotate independently of said driving means and havin surface positioned for rolling contact with a web of fabric engaging said cylinder.

3. In a textile printing machine, the combination ofi means for feeding and printing a web of fabric including a cylinder, a print roller and means for driving said cylinder and print roller, and a gum Water roller freely rotatable on anti-friction bearings and having its peripheral surface positioned its peripheral for rolling contact with a Web of fabric enga ing said cylinder.

n testimonywhereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 2nd day of March, l1927.

JOHN W. WOLSTENHOLME. 

